


Heavy Dirty Soul

by spiinka



Category: Shingeki no Kyojin | Attack on Titan
Genre: Action/Adventure, Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Alternate Universe - Reincarnation, Implied/Referenced Suicide, M/M
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-05-14
Updated: 2020-05-14
Packaged: 2021-03-02 22:41:53
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,306
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24184555
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/spiinka/pseuds/spiinka
Summary: A simple mission turns out to be tragic for Eren. The unexpected turns of events leads him to a completely new place away from the past. Will the new life finally let him be normal, or will the demons of the previous one follow him into the future?
Relationships: Levi/Eren Yeager
Comments: 2
Kudos: 12





	Heavy Dirty Soul

**Author's Note:**

  * A translation of [Heavy Dirty Soul](https://archiveofourown.org/works/13543704) by [spiinka](https://archiveofourown.org/users/spiinka/pseuds/spiinka). 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This story is a translation of its Polish version, which I wrote about two years ago. If you're interested, you can check it out on my profile. I'm not a native English speaker, and I don't have a beta, so if you found any mistakes, just let me know. I'm more than happy when I can learn something new.  
> Enjoy.

_April 25, 852_

It was a turning point in everything they've done so far.

Hange's newest research on the fight against the titans brought spectacular results. Series of experiments on captured subjects showed that humanity finally had a chance to wipe them out completely. Every citizen was so thrilled that there wasn't any other conversation topics during that time.

No wonder soon enough, many criminals from the underground city started to get interested in the matter. Unluckily for the Survey Corps, one of their squads was attacked during a routine mission in the capital. Later reports showed that some of the criminals were actually Military Police former members. During that mission, squad leader Hange Zoe was kidnapped for a ransom.

Eren sighed, letting the hurried soldiers pass next to him. The main Survey Corps quarters were always crowded and noisy, but in the last few days, the whole place was in complete chaos. The castle was more packed than the biggest Stohess' marketplace. It was all Erwin's fault, as he put all soldiers on full alert immediately after Hange's kidnapping. He started to prepare a rescue mission as soon as he found out about it. Her wellbeing wasn't the only case - Hange was a key to the future fate of humanity.

"Jaeger!"

Eren turned on his heel, hearing a familiar voice.

Levi stood next to the stables, his arms crossed and brows furrowed. That typical blank expression could mean only one thing - in a few seconds, Eren was going to get one of those excruciating jobs, which Levi loved so much—maybe cleaning those old stables, where, after some time, you start to scrub the floor with your tears. Actually, it was surprisingly efficient.

"Move your ass. We're going to Mitras."

"Captain?" Eren was genuinely confused. "I thought you were taking only squad leader Hange's soldiers."

" I was... but don't forget that I'm also responsible for you, so you're going with us. I can't let you out of my sight.", Levi was evidently bored with their conversation. "If you'll decide to transform and destroy our fucking quarters, I won't be here to stop you. Pack your shit. We're leaving in fifteen minutes."

Before Eren could even reply, Levi's small figure was already moving towards the castle. The bottle-green coat waved right behind his back in all of its majesty. At the sight of the captain, even the busiest soldiers spread sideways to let him pass. There was no one among the scouts who would not respect him.

Reaching Mitras took them all afternoon. It seemed like everything in the world united against them - right in the middle of the expedition, two horses fell, and the weather threatened to break down. Dense, dark clouds enveloped the sky, as if closing them in a sealed cage. While crossing the city gate, they felt the first drops of a downpour.

"I don't want to hear about any mistakes," Levi yelled as they left horses and started to maneuver between buildings. "Surround their quarters just like we planned. Jaeger! Hold close to me, and don't you fucking dare to act on your own."

Eren advanced, dodging several soldiers to fly near the captain. As they rushed forward, the raindrops started to shatter unpleasantly on their faces. The only good point of weather break was the deserted city - a lack of people on the streets made flying between buildings so much easier.

They stopped in front of the old sawmill, surrounding it from each side. Walls with falling pieces of old paint were barely holding in one place. They were giving off that eerie vibe and reminded Eren of old horror tales, which they were passionately telling themselves as cadets. Gesturing Jaeger to follow him, Levi approached the door and pushed it lightly.

A frightening creaking sound filled an abandoned hall. Strong smell of moisture and wet wood struck them immediately as they crossed the threshold. The place was huge, but because of tons of wooden crates scattered everywhere, their range of sight was limited.

"Jaeger, we need to check the basement first," Levi whispered, but his words drowned in the heavy rain sounds. "They're probably keeping her there. Watch out for yourself. Those bastards can be somewhere close."

Eren nodded understandingly. That place was far too quiet - he expected them to be attacked in the moment they came in, but there wasn't even a single soul inside.

Wandering between wooden obstacles, they tried to remain vigilant. On the outside, the downpour started to transform into a storm - once in a while, the sawmill's uneven walls were illuminated by bright light after the sky had been torn apart by striking lightning. It was one of those flashy moments, when three enormous, muscular thugs appeared right in front of their faces - at the sight of the intruders, they instantly reached for their weapons, ready to attack.

Before Eren could even think about defending himself, Levi swiftly moved forward, striking them down to the ground. Jaeger was watching the captain in action completely mesmerized, when pitiful groans of their might-have-been attackers filled the room. Levi's skills have always intimidated him - somewhere deep inside, Eren hoped that one day captain would teach him his fighting techniques, though he'd sooner confess his love to Jean than asked Levi even for a single lesson.

"Jaeger," Levi huffed, ripping out his knife from man's chest. "Stop staring and move your ass. We're not done yet."

It seemed like an eternity before they found the stairs leading to the basement. Sounds from there clearly indicated the presence of at least ten people.

"Stay here," Levi whispered, staring blankly ahead.

"Captain," Eren looked at him in pure terror. "It's suicide. Let me come with you. Maybe I can he..."

"Shut up. You're staying here, and that's an order."

Without hesitation, Levi moved forward, but Eren's hand instinctively grabbed his sleeve. Before Jaeger realized what he did, he was struck by Levi's murderous gaze.

"What do you think you're doing? You're staying here. I'm warning you, don't piss me off," Levi easily pulled out of his grip and headed down the stairs without looking back.

***

"Hi, Eren!" Hange's cheerful voiced snapped Eren's out of his apathy. While Levi was fighting downstairs, he stared at the wall for a good fifteen minutes, his mind completely blank. He blinked a few times and looked at her with utter confusion.

Considering that she had been in captivity for over a week, she looked pretty healthy and full of energy. The only difference, Jaeger noticed, was the chaotically loose hair that she always put up in a pony.

"Squad leader Hange! I'm so glad you're okay!" Eren smiled sincerely.

"Move. It's not over. Some of them escaped through the back door. We need to be careful."

Levi's voice, as always, was cold as those windy winters behind the walls. He didn't let himself show any emotion, but it was visible that fighting with so many opponents clearly weakened him.

As if on cue, a metal barrel of a weapon flashed right behind them, but this time, Eren's reaction was immediate. Without overthinking, he lunged straight ahead on Levi, who was unaware of the whole situation. Jaeger could see a flash of understanding on his captain's face only before they both fell to the ground in the accompaniment of a deafening shot.

Eren wanted to scream when sharp, agonizing pain pierced him, suddenly making all muscles tense. He rolled down on the floor, feeling his heart pounding rapidly in his chest, desperately pumping blood, some of which immediately flowed out from the wound. Completely terrified, he lifted his trembling fingers, unaware of the surroundings, when he suddenly felt someone's gentle hands.

"Relax," Levi's words echoed in his mind, when strong pressure on the chest sent another wave of unbearable pain through his whole body. "Breathe slowly."

Eren blinked several times when his eyes filled with tears. Levi was leaning over him, concentration painted all over his face, trying to stop the bleeding with his loose cravat. The cold mask of self-control was still there, destroyed only by eyes in which pure terror lurked.

"C-captain?" Eren whispered. His body was gradually becoming number, and he couldn't do anything. "I d-don't w-want to... I c-can't..."

"Be quiet," Levi's voice shuddered at the last syllable, though Jaeger, in his barely conscious state, could just misheard that. "I won't let you die, you moron."

Eren looked at him wearily. For the first time in his whole life, Levi's face was so close that he could notice its every tiny detail. A pleasant relief slowly began to replace pain, and his eyelids became unbearably heavy. 

"Eren!"

He felt a gentle slap, which didn't impress him much. Dozing off, he only saw the smooth skin and slightly outlined nose, which had been blurring more and more with every passing second. With all the strength left, Eren slowly raised his hand and touched Levi's cheek, leaving a blood-red streak on it. The last thing he remembered, when he was swallowed up by darkness, was miserable, icy-blue eyes and delicate lips silently repeating his name over and over again.

_April 25/26, 2017_

A loud, sudden roar made Eren jump as he immediately started searching for threats. He looked around, visibly startled; the small room he woke up in, looked like a quite comfortable bedroom. Confused, he stretched himself and slowly got out of the bed; he flinched when his feet sank into something soft. It crossed his mind that this place had to belong to someone wealthy - in the quarters, you could only dream of something as luxurious as carpet.

Carefully, Eren went to the window and looked outside, but then he immediately drew back bewildered. He couldn't believe what he just saw, rubbing his eyes in confusion. It took him a moment to find the courage just to peek again.

The bedroom window faced one of the main streets between the buildings, but that wasn't the reason for his puzzlement. The first utterly bizarre thing was... light—lots of lights. Flashing, blinding, and glowing in various bright colors. Even along the streets, lamps created luminous spots. What was even weirder than that, the carriages basking in their rays didn't need it, as they flashed their light; they didn't even look like any form of transportation known to Eren. Loudly roaring machines resembled huge metal boxes in all different colors. It was probably one of them, which woke up Jaeger so brutally.

Eren felt a rush of panic creeping upon him. He had no idea where he was or whether he was still alive. Maybe that's what actual hell looked like?

When he finally decided to look around and explore that eerie place, a sudden throbbing headache hit him, knocking him down to his knees. For a brief moment, he couldn't get rid of the impression that someone was brutally splitting his skull, trying to put something inside. Eren shut his eyes tightly, attempting to calm down, and at the same time, his mind was being set on fire. Millions of vivid images and memories appeared from nowhere, shifting rapidly in his imagination. He saw himself at the age of six, surrounded by his parents and some unknown people. At the age of seventeen, he was arguing with Carla, who didn't want to let him go to the party. He also saw himself much older than he had ever remembered, graduating from medical school. His father was there too, with undeniable pride in his eyes, offering his support.

The pain passed just as quickly as it appeared, leaving behind a sickly, sweet sensation. For a brief moment, he felt overwhelmed in his own body. It was as if someone had showed something odd and unfamiliar right into his brain - additional memories of events that he never experienced.

When he managed to calm himself down, a sudden realization set in - he wasn't in a foreign place at all. He was at home in his bedroom. Eren recognized the world and objects around him perfectly well, and at the same time, he saw them for the first time in his life. Fortunately, he knew exactly what to do in such a situation.

He ran out of the bedroom, grabbing a phone on his way to the kitchen. The foreign object felt so familiar in his hand, especially when he unlocked it and was greeted with his own face on a wallpaper. Eren stood in the center of the photograph, smiling widely, surrounded by a group of people. He recognized them as his friends, although he never spoke to any of them.

Eren instinctively dialed his father's number and waited for him to pick up. Some parts of his consciousness told him that there was nothing unusual about it, but he still felt tensed hearing the artificial call waiting tone. When he heard his father's sleepy murmur on the other side, he sighed with relief.

"Eren? Have you seen what time it is?" he yawned loudly. "Something happened?"

"Father?"

As soon as he spoke, Grisha chuckled uncontrollably.

"Why so official, Eren? Have you been drinking too much again?"

"I don't know what to do. Help me, father. I don't know where I am. I don't even know WHO I am..." Eren couldn't control his voice, and to make things worse, his headache was gradually coming back.

Grisha didn't respond immediately. The silence on the phone was interrupted only by quiet, restless breathing.

"What's the last thing you remember, Eren?"

"I..." he hesitated, though he remembered everything perfectly - new memories didn't erase his own. "We were on a mission. S-someone wanted to shoot the captain, and I managed to save him, b-but I've..."

A quiet sigh interrupted his words, and as soon as Grisha spoke, his voice was full of emotions.

"Son... you've finally came back..."


End file.
